On Catalyst 8.9 and later ATI drivers now support RandR rotation. After configuring your ati card as usual enter the following command:

+

NOTE: The features listed are based off of the development repository at the time of this writing (2011-01-17). This does not mean that every Linux distribution will have the same capabilities. More than likely, major distributions will have an older, better-tested version of the graphics stack as a default and offer bleeding-edge versions of the driver in a repository. For a concise chart of features supported by the open source radeon drivers, see: http://www.x.org/wiki/RadeonFeature

2010-10-27: xrandr works on my Mobility Radeon HD 5730 with Catalyst 10.9 driver without needing to run the command above. I just tried <pre>xrandr --orientation left</pre> and the screen rotated onto its side.

+

= Switchable Graphic Chips Status=

−

Note: Using this command on a Radeon Xpress 200M made Xorg unable to start with some weird error in the amdxmm module. Using this command with FALSE instead of TRUE helped afterward.

+

Some laptops (and other systems) are now being sold with both an integrated, low power GPU, and a discrete, high performance GPU [http://www.amd.com/us/products/technologies/switchable-graphics/Pages/switchable-graphics.aspx AMD Switchable Graphics Technology]. There are two basic types of hybrid designs. Older hybrid systems use a multiplexor (MUX) to switch between GPU's. Newer systems (those with PowerXpress >= 4.0) are MUX-less. As far as I can tell, PowerXpress 4.0 started with RadeonHD 6000-series GPU's, and systems with older ATI GPU's have a MUX, but don't quote that.

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Note: I also had a problem with that option with a 4850, I couldn't get Xorg to start after setting that option.

+

−

Q: Is rotation hardware accelerated? How does performance compare to non-rotated?

Carefully research before purchasing a laptop, or you may not be able to fully use the hardware you pay for.<br /><br />

+

|}

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R: On 10.12 (probably sooner), rotation is fully hardware accelerated. Either video buffering or 3d rendering show no slowdonws even across rotated and non-rotated screens.

+

== MUXed Systems ==

−

== Open Source Drivers ==

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Open source drivers support switching from integrated to discrete graphics cards using [http://linux-hybrid-graphics.blogspot.com/2010/02/howto-install-vgaswitcheroo-for-linux.html vga_switcheroo] on MUXed systems. However, the performance of the chips with the switchable open source drivers may not be optimized. For example, with the open source driver on the HP DV7-4045ea you can switch between the 4200 and 5650; the 4200 works okay, but although the 5650 does work, it does not perform well.

+

Catalyst supposedly supports switching using the following commands, but reports of success are scarce:

Open source drivers support switching from integrated to discrete graphics cards using vga_switcheroo. However, the performance of the chips with the switchable open source drivers may not be desirable.

+

On MUX-less systems, the discrete card is used solely for rendering, not display. At the moment, the X server does not support rendering and display from different cards so the discrete card can not be used with MUX-less systems at the moment. Most new laptops (2011+) are MUX-less.

+

There is a bug raised against the inability to switch between integrated and discrete graphics cards [http://ati.cchtml.com/show_bug.cgi?id=16 Official AMD Bug]

−

For example, with the open source driver on the HP DV7-4045ea you can switch between the 4200 and 5650, but the 4200 works okay. However, the 5650 does work, but does not perform well.

+

= Video Decode Acceleration Status =

−

== Proprietary Drivers ==

+

== VA-API/XvBA Wrapper (RadeonHD >= 4000 using Catalyst)==

−

Proprietary drivers can be used instead, if so desired, although it is not necessary to use these for the cards listed above.

+

Video acceleration can be achieved through drivers supplied at [http://www.splitted-desktop.com/~gbeauchesne/ gbeauchesne] Modern distros should have this installable from their repo (Debian/Ubuntu does).

+

Note that this wrapper is no longer maintained/developed and should be considered a dead-end.

−

Proprietary drivers do not support switching of graphics drivers between the low power consumption integrated graphics chip and the high performance discrete graphics chip. Some manufactures do not allow switching the bios. Carefully investigate before purchase otherwise you will not be able to leverage your purchase.

+

== Using XvBA in XBMC (with Catalyst >= 11-11) ==

−

==2D==

+

The XBMC project has implemented acceleration in their media player using AMD's libxvba library. This is a fairly new/experimental feature at the time of this writing, but XBMC claims positive feedback. [http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?t=116996 Install Instructions]

−

===X server===

+

−

*XFree86 and X.org support

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−

====Xaa====

+

−

*X Acceleration Architecture

+

−

====Xv====

+

−

* One Hardware or OpenGL overlay

+

−

===TV Out===

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== Gallium3D VDPAU (open-source driver) ==

−

*NTSC and PAL support

+

−

==TV In==

+

The open-source 3D mesa driver now implements acceleration through a VDPAU/VA-API wrapper that uses the 3D engine. This is a fairly new/experimental feature at the time of this writing, so it may require rebuilding mesa. AMD is interested in using the UVD hardware directly, but this is currently held up for legal reasons.

−

*No support for the built in tuner in "All-in-Wonder" cards.

+

−

==3D==

+

= EyeFinity =

−

===OpenGL===

+

Catalyst supports more than two simultaneous outputs on RadeonHD5xxx cards having more than two physical independent out. Default settings starts every monitors in a cloned stage, but you can switch to a multiple display desktop via the Catalyst Control Center. Be aware that the AMD Catalyst Control Center does not let you fix arbitrary position settings : it only lets you approximately place your monitors on a virtual desktop. It's often best to adjust screen alignment using the "Position +x +y" option in xorg.conf.'''

−

*Provides some OpenGL 2.0 commands

+

−

BUT NOT

+

−

the OpenGL 2.0 version of the shading language.

+

−

The ATI driver uses a version of the shading language called

+

Open source drivers also support Eyefinity.

−

the ARB extension. The ARB extension was used before

+

−

OpenGL 2.0 was finished.

+

−

+

−

+

−

== EyeFinity ==

+

−

+

−

The proprietary driver supports more than two simultaneous outputs on HD5xxx cards having more than two physical independant out.

+

−

+

−

Default settings starts every monitors in a cloned stage, but you can switch to a multiple display desktop via the Catalyst Control Center.

+

−

+

−

Be aware that the ATI Catalyst Control Center does not let you fix arbitrary position settings : it only lets you approximately place your monitors on a virtual desktop. It's often best to adjust screen alignement using the "Position +x +y" option in xorg.conf.'''

+

−

+

−

'''EyeFinity support is still messy''' : As of 10.12, Five display setup on a HD5770 Eyefinity5 edition cannot be used. In any case, at least one display out show a scrambled image (with a neat cursor and correct placement).

Open Source Drivers

NOTE: The features listed are based off of the development repository at the time of this writing (2011-01-17). This does not mean that every Linux distribution will have the same capabilities. More than likely, major distributions will have an older, better-tested version of the graphics stack as a default and offer bleeding-edge versions of the driver in a repository. For a concise chart of features supported by the open source radeon drivers, see: http://www.x.org/wiki/RadeonFeature
Here are the highlights:

Switchable Graphic Chips Status

Some laptops (and other systems) are now being sold with both an integrated, low power GPU, and a discrete, high performance GPU AMD Switchable Graphics Technology. There are two basic types of hybrid designs. Older hybrid systems use a multiplexor (MUX) to switch between GPU's. Newer systems (those with PowerXpress >= 4.0) are MUX-less. As far as I can tell, PowerXpress 4.0 started with RadeonHD 6000-series GPU's, and systems with older ATI GPU's have a MUX, but don't quote that.

Switchable Graphic Chips Warning

WARNING

Carefully research before purchasing a laptop, or you may not be able to fully use the hardware you pay for.

MUXed Systems

Open source drivers support switching from integrated to discrete graphics cards using vga_switcheroo on MUXed systems. However, the performance of the chips with the switchable open source drivers may not be optimized. For example, with the open source driver on the HP DV7-4045ea you can switch between the 4200 and 5650; the 4200 works okay, but although the 5650 does work, it does not perform well.
Catalyst supposedly supports switching using the following commands, but reports of success are scarce:

MUX-less Systems

On MUX-less systems, the discrete card is used solely for rendering, not display. At the moment, the X server does not support rendering and display from different cards so the discrete card can not be used with MUX-less systems at the moment. Most new laptops (2011+) are MUX-less.
There is a bug raised against the inability to switch between integrated and discrete graphics cards Official AMD Bug

Video Decode Acceleration Status

VA-API/XvBA Wrapper (RadeonHD >= 4000 using Catalyst)

Video acceleration can be achieved through drivers supplied at gbeauchesne Modern distros should have this installable from their repo (Debian/Ubuntu does).
Note that this wrapper is no longer maintained/developed and should be considered a dead-end.

Using XvBA in XBMC (with Catalyst >= 11-11)

The XBMC project has implemented acceleration in their media player using AMD's libxvba library. This is a fairly new/experimental feature at the time of this writing, but XBMC claims positive feedback. Install Instructions

Gallium3D VDPAU (open-source driver)

The open-source 3D mesa driver now implements acceleration through a VDPAU/VA-API wrapper that uses the 3D engine. This is a fairly new/experimental feature at the time of this writing, so it may require rebuilding mesa. AMD is interested in using the UVD hardware directly, but this is currently held up for legal reasons.

EyeFinity

Catalyst supports more than two simultaneous outputs on RadeonHD5xxx cards having more than two physical independent out. Default settings starts every monitors in a cloned stage, but you can switch to a multiple display desktop via the Catalyst Control Center. Be aware that the AMD Catalyst Control Center does not let you fix arbitrary position settings : it only lets you approximately place your monitors on a virtual desktop. It's often best to adjust screen alignment using the "Position +x +y" option in xorg.conf.